Apparatus for heating and agitating air.



Nob'sssa. 'Patented ont. |,|'9o|. E. r. Pumas. AIIRARATUS FUR HEATING AND AGITATING AIR.

(Application v'led Feb. 17? 1898.)`

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWIN E. PORTER, OE BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE BAY STATE ELECTRIC HEAT da LIGHT COMPANY, OF JERSEY CITY, NEV

JERSEY.

APPARATUS FOR HEATING AND AGITATING AIR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 683,659, dated October 1, 1901.

Application filed February 17, 1898. Serial No. 670,616. (No model.)

To @ZZ wit/)m t may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN F. PORTER, of Boston, in the county of Sutfolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Heating and Agitating Air, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in apparatus for heating and agitating air; and its object is to thoroughly heat and diffuse a body of air throughout an apartment.

In carrying out my invention I use a fan with a gas or oil burner in front or behind the same and in the region of calm at the vortex or center of the fan, as shown in the drawings. By placing the burner in this location with relation to the fan the iiame is not appreciably disturbed by the action of the air as it is moved by the fan, as would be the case if it were placed in any other relation to the fan. It will be seen that the heat and products ot combustion generated by the burner will mingle with the tlow of air from the revolving blades and will be diffused throughout the apartment to be heated. By adopting this arrangement of the fan with relation to the burner the heated air and products of combustion are circulated throughout the apartment instead of being allowed to ascend to the ceiling, thereby heating a part of the room which is not occupied and wasting heat, as is the case in the present style of gas or oil radiators. As it is necessary to revolve the fan by means of some power, the power in this invention is supplied by a current resulting from the heating ot' a thermopile or thermo-electric generator by the same source of heat which is used to heat the apartment, so that the means for diusing and for heating the air are from one source.

My invention consists of certain novel features hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a construction embodying my invention, Figure l is a side view ot' the motor in full lines and a sectional view on the line X X, Fig. 2, through the burner, thermo-electric generator on the burner, and tubes which supply gas to the burner, also showing the fan in section. Fig. 2 is a detail view of a thermo-electric generator and burner around which the thermo-electric generator is 10- cated and also showing the ring to which the usual radial wires of a fan-guard are secured. Fig. 3 is a perspective View of the fan.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts throughout the several views.

On a suitable base A there is located the motor B, which is operated bya current generated by the thermo-electric generator operated by the burner, as hereinafter described. To the shaft D of said motor there is fixed, at its outer end, the fan E, and located around the fan E is a suitable guard F, secured to the motor B by screws F'. The fan E is of a new construction, and consists of a drumshaped hub E', closed at the back by a head E2, secured to the spider D and provided with a series of triangular openings E3, from which project the bifurcated blades E4, composed of two plates E5 and E6, placed at an angle one with the other and joined at the edge which cuts the air in the revolution of the fan. This fan is adapted by its construction to draw in part of the air and products of combustion at the center through the drum-shaped hub by its exhaust action and vent the same through the bifurcated blades. This fan is essentially of that type known as exhaustfans, and in this case it draws the heated air and products of combustion from a given point and exhausts them through the blades. In the construction shown the air andproducts of combustion vent at both the open side and the end of the blades; but, if desired, the end may be closed, thereby causing all the air and products of combustion entering the blades to vent at the open side of the blades, where it is thrown out from the fan by contact with the inclined surfaces of the next blade in the revolution of the fan. Gas is fed through the tube G and tube F2 to theguard F, which is wholly or partially made of tubing to conduct gas from the source of supply to the burner H at the vortex or center of the fan, and located in the supply-tube G is a gas and air mixer G. The gas, with the air, passes into the tube F2, which forms one of the supports of the guard, then into the tube F3, which surrounds the fan, and from it to one or more tubes F4, which form a part of the guard F, and the gas then passes to the burner H. In yfront of the burner H there is located a disk I, of wire-gauze or asbestos, held in place on a suitable ring J, and which acts as a screen to the iiame for purposes of safety, and to said ring the usual radial wires F5 are secured, as in practice two tubes of the guard F are suiicient to convey gas to the burner l'I. Where gasolene or oil is used, the same passes from the source of supply through the guard to the burner in a similar manner to that shown for gas.

In Fig. 2 there is shown the thermopile K for generating the current to give motion to the fan. K represents a sheet of iron in electric contact with a similar sheet of German silver K2, forming one of the several couples of the thermopile, which couples are sufficiently numerous to entirely encircle the burner H, having their inner joints K3 in contact with said burner. It will be readily seen that the inner joints referred to, being in contact with the heated burner I-I, are kept at a much higher degree of temperature than the outer joints, thereby causing a flow of electric current, which is carried through the Wire O to the motor B from the thermopile K4, through the wire C, to the theruiopile, through the thermopile-terminal K5, the motor being operated by said circuit.

From the above it will be understood that the burner not only forms a source of heat for heating the air of a room, but is also vthe source of the electric current used to operate the fan for diffusing the air so heated. When the fan is revolving, the airk is blown from the blades, producing a decided current of air, excepting at the center near the hub, where there is a region of calm which offers opportunity to locate the burner Where the flame will be practically undisturbed by the revolution of the fan. Part of the heated air and products of combustion from the burner rise in front of the fan and mingle with the flow of air therefrom and are blown or diffused throughout the room to be heated, while the remainder of the heated air and products of combustion from the burner pass into the drum-shaped hub and through the triangular openings into the blades E, veuting at the end and sides, the heated air and products of combustion venting from the sides being thrown out by the inclined surfaces of the succeeding blade andthe heated air and products of combustion venting at the ends being thrown off at a tangent. By this combined action there is produced a general diffusion of the heated air and products of combustion in various directions throughout an apartment instead of their rising directly to the ceiling and remaining there, as is at present the case with gas and oil radiators.

I do not limit myself to the arrangement and construction shown, as the same may be varied without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus ascertained the nature of my invention and set forth a construction embodying the same, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

l. In an air heating and agitating apparatus, a fan for ddusing the heated air, gas or oil burners for heating the air and located at the center of the fan in the vortex of motion, an electric heater for operating said fan, and a thermo-electric generator located around said gas or oil burners and energized by the heat generated from said gas or oil burners for supplying current to said motor for operating said fan.

2. In an air heating and agitating apparatus, a fan for diusiu g the heated air, a guard for said fan, gas or oil burners for heating the air, one or more tubes forming a part of said guard for supplying gas or oil to said burners, an electric motor for operating said fan, and a thermo-electric generator located around said gas or oil burners and energized by the heat from said gas or oil burners for supplying current to said motor for operating said fan.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses, this 11th day of February, 1898. Y

EDWIN F. PORTER. Nituessesz A. L. MESSER, C. A. STEWART. 

